The present application is related to co-pending patent application entitled xe2x80x9cSystem and Method For Electrically and Mechanically Coupling an Avionics Line Replaceable Unit With Electronic Equipmentxe2x80x9d, filed on even date herewith by the same inventor and assigned to the same assignee. This application is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.
The present invention generally relates to aviation electronics, or avionics, and more particularly relates to line replaceable units (LRUs) of avionics equipment which are mated to a rack in an aircraft, and even more particularly relates to a system and method for electrically and mechanically coupling such LRUs with a ground-based test station and/or airframe LRU interfaces.
In the past, designers of avionics systems have endeavored to provide systems with improved reliability and improved serviceability. One crucial element in such systems has been the use of avionics test stations on the ground to test avionics equipment when removed from aircraft. These test stations are typically very versatile, being capable of testing various different types of avionics equipment. The versatility of these test stations arises out of the use of various test unit adapters (TUAs) which are tailored to electrically connect various avionics LRUs with the test station.
While these test stations and TUAs have many advantages, they also have significant drawbacks.
First of all, the TUAs are typically individually hand wired to interface each LRU to a test station. This hand wiring of the TUAs is expensive and time-consuming because of the high degree of skill and care which is needed to accomplish the task. Secondly, servicing TUAs is often a difficult and time-consuming task because great care must be taken in rewiring the TUA to accomplish any service changes. Consequently, there exists a need for improvement in systems and methods for testing LRUs.
It is an object of the present invention to provide enhanced reliability for avionics LRUs and avionics test equipment.
It is a feature of the present invention to utilize a TUA with rigid interconnections between the LRU and the test station.
It is an advantage of the present invention to reduce the production time required to manufacture a particular TUA for a particular LRU.
It is another advantage of the present invention to increase the reliability of TUAs.
It is yet another advantage of the present invention to improve the serviceability of TUAs.
The present invention is an apparatus and method for testing avionics LRUs which is designed to satisfy the aforementioned needs, provide the previously stated objects, include the above-listed features and achieve the already articulated advantages. The present invention is carried out with a xe2x80x9chand wired-less TUAxe2x80x9d in a sense that the amount of hand wiring in the manufacture and servicing of TUAs has been greatly reduced.
Accordingly, the present invention is a system and method for testing avionics LRUs where the system includes a TUA having rigid electrical connections, and the method includes providing a TUA having rigid electrical connections between the LRU and the test station.